810 44 



Solenostomidæ. 



Solenostoiims. 



The genus Solenostomus, founded in 1803 by Lacépède (31, p. 102),* has been 

 grouped with the Syngnathidce since the days of Cuvier (9 a, p. 157), in modern 

 times always as representing a distinct family. The species of the genus seem al- 

 ways to have been rare in collections, a fact which explains that their anatomical 

 structure has never been thoroughly worked out. The only anatomical accounts 

 known to me are those given by Pallas (39, p. 35) and by Günther (16b, p. 151); 

 both are very incomplete and contain some errors. Most authors have confined 

 themselves to renewed descriptions of the oldest known species, or besides to the 

 establishing on quite external characters of a few (3) new ones. The material which 

 I have had the opportunity to examine only contains two species: Sol. cyanopteriis 

 Blk. and Sol. paradoxus (Pall.), . and I greatly doubt the existence of more than 

 these two species. Of both I have had at my disposal male and female specimens, 

 all from Japan. For this most valuable material I am greatly indebted to Dr. 

 Shigeho Tanaka and Mr. Alan Owston. 



The geographical distribution is very wide, and the two species seem to occur 

 at the same localities; in fact both S. paradoxus and cyanopterus have been taken 

 together at Boshu, Japan (Jordan 1901), and specimens of both species are present 

 in my collection from Japan from localities which are not far from each other; 

 according to Duméril both are found at Mauritius (Isle de France). ** The geographical 

 range embraces the Indian Ocean and the western part of the Pacific, from Zanzi- 

 bar to New Guinea and to the eastern coasts of Japan. Inside this wide area the 

 localities where specimens actually have been found are rather few and scattered; 

 no captures at the coasts of the continents or the great islands have hitherto been 

 mentioned (or at all events distinctly stated). All the localities known to me from 

 the literature and from Museum-specimens, which I have had the opportunity to 

 see, are the following: Zanzibar {S. cyanopterus); Mauritius (S. cyanopterus (= bleekeri), 

 S. paradoxus); Maldives {S. paradoxus); Amboyna {S. paradoxus {and ''brachyurus")); 

 Ceram,Wahai *** {S. cyanopterus); New Guinea (S. cyanopterus); "China" (S. cyanopterus); 



' The name Solenostomus (1815 altered bj' Rafinesque to Solenostoma) was originally used by 

 Klein 1744 for some true Syngnathidœ, later, 1761, by Seba for a species of the present genus, de- 

 scribed in Thesaurus, Vol. 3, p. 1Ü6 and figured ibid. PI. 34, fig. 4. This species is generallj' interpreted 

 as identical with Sol. paradoxus (Fistularia paradoxa] of Pallas, which also in ray opinion is correct 

 (cfr. for example the shape of the caudal peduncle). 



■* if S. bleekeri is = cyanopterus. 



"' This locality, given by Bleeker (2 p. 308) in the following words: "Habit. Wahai, Ceram sep- 

 tentrionalis, in mari", has led to the erroneous conclusion that Solen, cyanopterus also occurred at 

 Hawaii, in the Pacific! We meet the misunderstanding for the first time in Kaup (25 p. 21, who saj-s: 

 "Dr. Bleeker obtained his specimens in the sea of Hawaii and Ceram"; later we find it in Johdan and 

 Snyder (22, p. 4) and in Jordan and Evermann (21 b, p. 118); the latter saj: "The onh' Hawaiian reference 

 is that given by Bleeker. It is doubtful if the species really occurs in these islands"; and in the 

 Synonymy they quote "Bleeker 1854, Natuurk. Tijdschr. Nederl. Indie, VI, p. 507, Hawaii and Ceram". 



